The present invention relates generally to telecommunications call center technologies and, more particularly, to a system for supporting multiple organization subscribers to network based interactive voice response (IVR), automated call distributor (ACD), and related call center technologies deployed on a common platform having seamless interfaces to switched circuit and Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
Telecommunications call center technologies include an interactive voice response (IVR) unit and an automated call distributor (ACD) for enabling communications between a caller and an organization. An IVR automates telephone based xe2x80x9cself helpxe2x80x9d tasks by giving a caller access to information and by receiving information from the caller. An IVR allows communication between the caller and the organization without having the caller directly communicate with a human agent of the organization. By automating the retrieval and processing of information for a caller having access to a telephone or personal computer (PC) an IVR gives data a voice and adds intelligence to a telephone call from the caller. An IVR uses recordings of human or computerized voice to communicate to callers on behalf of an organization. For instance, an IVR for an organization such as a bank would have recordings for communicating with a caller such as xe2x80x9cThank you for calling the bank. Push one on your touch tone telephone for savings account information. Push two on your touch tone telephone for checking account information.xe2x80x9d In response, a caller communicates with the IVR to select the appropriate response by pressing the appropriate number on a touch tone telephone or PC. Based on the callers response, the IVR uses recordings to present different menus to the caller and the caller presses the appropriate numbers on the touch tone telephone or PC to work through the menus to obtain the desired information. An IVR may be automated speech recognition (ASR) enabled to allow the caller to speak a response rather than manipulate a key pad on a touch tone telephone or PC. In general, an IVR allows the caller to access information in the organization""s database and to receive that information either verbally via a touch tone telephone through a telephone network such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or on a PC via an Internet Protocol (IP) data network such as the Internet.
An ACD distributes incoming calls from callers to agents of an organization to enable the callers to speak directly with the agents. In operation, an ACD recognizes and answers an incoming call from a caller, looks in a database for instructions on what to do with the call, based on the instructions the ACD sends the call to a recording such as xe2x80x9cYour call is being transferred to the next available agentxe2x80x9d, and then transfers the caller to an agent for the caller to speak directly with the agent. The ACD may take information from the caller and pass this information to the agent to speed the communication between the caller and the agent. The ACD may also select an agent for the caller based on the information submitted by the caller to ensure that the appropriate agent communicates with the caller.
A problem with typical telecommunications call center technologies such as IVR and ACD is that organizations set up and maintain their own call centers. This is expensive and inefficient as each organization deploys and maintains separate call centers. What is needed is a system for supporting multiple organization subscribers to network based IVR, ACD, and related call center technologies deployed on a common platform having seamless interfaces to switched circuit and Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for supporting multiple subscribers to network based call center technologies deployed on a common platform.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for supporting multiple subscribers to a network based Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for supporting multiple subscribers to a network based Automated Call Distributor (ACD).
In carrying out the above objects and other objects, the present invention provides a call center system for enabling communication between callers and subscribers. The system includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and a virtual call center operable to receive calls from callers via the PSTN. The virtual call center performs Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Automated Call Distributor (ACD) functions to the callers on behalf of subscribers of the virtual call center for enabling communication between the callers and the subscribers. The virtual call center performs IVR and ACD functions to callers on behalf of each subscriber based on a service level agreement between each subscriber and the virtual call center. The virtual call center performs IVR functions associated with a subscriber for a caller to access information from the subscriber and to provide information to the subscriber. The virtual call center performs ACD functions associated with the subscriber to connect the caller with an agent of the subscriber.
Preferably, the system includes a service level agreement database operable with the virtual call center for storing the service level agreement of each subscriber with the virtual call center. The system may include a local database operable with the virtual call center for storing rules for the IVR and ACD functions of each subscriber. The virtual call center performs the IVR and ACD functions to the callers on behalf of the subscribers based on the rules of the IVR and ACD functions.
Preferably, a remote database is operable with the virtual call center for storing information regarding each subscriber. The virtual call center performs IVR functions associated with each subscriber for a caller to access information regarding a subscriber from the remote database. The remote database is operable with the virtual call center for storing information provided by the caller to the subscriber.
Preferably, the virtual call center includes a call management unit, a multi-tenant framework, a voice response unit, an applications server, and data network interfaces. The call management unit has telephony ports for enabling connection of calls from the PSTN made by callers to the virtual call center for enabling communication between the callers and the subscribers. The call management unit connects a call from the PSTN made by a caller to the virtual call center by allocating a telephony port to the call. The availability of the telephony ports of the call management unit for calls made by callers to a subscriber is based on the service level agreement of the subscriber with the virtual call center.
The voice response unit is operable for playing voice recordings to the callers on behalf of a subscriber for providing information to the caller regarding the subscriber. The voice response unit receives information from the caller in response to the caller responding to the voice recordings.
The call management unit forwards to the multi-tenant framework access information regarding the caller and the multi-tenant framework uses the access information to identify the subscriber whom the caller is calling. The multi-tenant framework compares the service level agreement of the subscriber whom the caller is calling to the current use of the call management unit by the subscriber to determine whether to instruct the call management unit to accept or reject the call from the caller to the subscriber. The access information regarding the caller may include automatic number identification (ANI) information and dialed number identification service (DNIS) information.
The multi-tenant framework forwards information regarding the caller to the applications server. The applications server performs IVR and ACD functions to the caller on behalf of a subscriber based on the service level agreement of the subscriber with the virtual call center. The application server directs the voice response unit to play recordings of the subscriber to the caller for interacting with the caller.
Preferably, the system further includes a data network. The virtual call center further includes data network interfaces for connecting the virtual call center to the data network. A computer telephone integration (CTI) router is connected to the data network. The CTI router contains information about agent skills and status for each subscriber. The applications server forwards information regarding the caller to the CTI router. The CTI router returns a routing instruction to the applications server in response to receiving the information regarding the caller. The routing instruction includes an address of an agent of the subscriber for handling the call from the caller. The CTI router determines an agent of the subscriber for handling the call based on the information regarding the caller and the information regarding agent skills and status. Upon receiving the routing instruction from the CTI router the applications server instructs the call management unit to transfer the call from the caller to the address returned in the routing instruction for connecting the caller to the agent of the subscriber.
Preferably, a transaction log database is operable with the virtual call center for monitoring usage of IVR and ACD functions performed by the virtual call center to the callers on behalf of the subscribers.
Preferably, the virtual call center is operable for connecting the caller to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) through a data network and the PSTN in accordance with the service level agreement of the subscriber whom the caller is calling. The virtual call center is operable for connecting the caller to the ISP through a data network and the PSTN to provide voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connectivity between the caller and an agent of the subscriber.
The advantages of the system of the present invention include providing a means for small and medium sized businesses to subscribe to call center systems rather than bearing the expense of deploying, managing, and maintaining local call center systems; providing a means for seasonal and special event businesses to subscribe to excess call center system capacities rather than over engineer their local call center systems around peak usage; providing a means for multi-site businesses to balance their call center system applications across sites such that agents at any site can access common call center system functionality through telephones and PCs; providing a means for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer high speed access to their servers across data network facilities; providing a means for ISPs to offer real time or scheduled agent collaboration for web site sales; providing a means for provisioning, managing, and maintaining each subscriber as an independent entity on a common platform and charging each subscriber based on measured usage of platform components; providing a means for subscribers to manage remotely certain run time options defined in service agreements; and providing a means for allowing each subscriber to view, manipulate, and draft reports upon only their data.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.